Tunisia wildfires destroy 12,100 hectares of forest and farmland

Wildfires across Tunisia have burned an estimated 12,100 hectares since the start of the summer season, affecting mainly cereal fields, harvest areas and dry grasslands. Forest services have responded to nearly 1,000 incidents, with about 90% of the fires occurring in agricultural zones.

In a Thursday working meeting convened by Agriculture Minister Ezzeddine Ben Cheikh, chief of cabinet Haikel Hachlaf stressed protecting forest heritage and crops as a national priority. Officials from the ministries of Interior, Defence, Finance, Transport, Environment, Equipment and Housing, as well as the National Civil Protection Office and the National Meteorology Institute, reviewed the fire statistics and evaluated field interventions. The meeting called for stronger coordination, expanded human and logistical resources, and greater use of modern monitoring technologies and early‑warning systems to improve response efficiency and safeguard agricultural production.